A college education can typically take you four years to complete. It would be a good idea to take up an entertaining hobby and bring some value to your career later on during those years. It is almost inevitable to get bored now and then, and instead of mindlessly wandering about, a hobby can help you pass the time and impart valuable character traits.

If you have ever filled out a job application, you would know that employers often ask about what hobbies or interests you have. This is not some random question that they put in to get to know you better. Instead, hobbies and interests can tell a lot about an individual’s character, which is precisely why employers ask the question.

If you haven’t had any particular hobbies in your life, it might seem a bit confusing to start. After all, there is so much stuff to do out there. So then, what hobbies and interests should you pursue not only to add value but also to keep yourself entertained?

Photography

This is an easy one to get into, given how practically everyone has a decent camera in their pockets at all times. If you get good at it and feel like you want to pursue it, you can always invest in a DSLR.

Before we get into any of that, what does photography as a hobby indicate?

If you have ever watched one of those NatGeo shows, you will know how patience is one of the essential traits to be a good photographer.

A perfect shot can take hours or even days to plan out. Things become even more complicated if your subject is wildlife. Gruesome weather, rough terrain, and mosquitoes enveloping every bit of visible skin on your body is not something everyone can do. Hence, Photography makes you incredibly patient and persistent, which is a much sought-after traits amongst employers.

Don’t get carried away, everyone has to start slow and easy. Start by capturing landscape or buildings around your campus. You can even ask people to take their portraits and learn as you go along. Fortunately, there are so many resources for new photographers on the internet that it won’t take long to find a nearby community.

Blogging

Blogging can be instrumental to your career, especially if you are interested in copywriting, technical writing, journalism, editorial positions and the likes. Showing your employer your prowess in written language and how well you turn your thoughts into a readable manuscript can speak volumes about your character.

Blogging demonstrates your creative abilities, self-motivation and shows that you are organized. Even if you ultimately decide to pursue a different career path, writing is something that will never go out of fashion.

Besides, as a college student, you have to write assignments and essays all the time anyway. So why not get good at it and improve your scores simultaneously by taking up blogging. The best thing about blogging is that it practically costs nothing. All you need is a laptop and some free time, and you are good to go.

Moreover, there are so many subject areas that no one should have difficulty finding a niche they like.

Volunteering

What is better than spending your time in the service of the needy? Not only is volunteering morally fulfilling, but it also shows employers that you can work as part of a team and that you aren’t in it for the money.

Employers almost always seek out people based on how well they can acclimate to the people around them and stay focused on a common goal. Nothing can portray this ability better than voluntary roles because there is no monetary gain to be made, and hence your only motivation is the task itself.

Apart from that, it also reflects on your character as a caring and empathetic person. Going out of your way to help humans or animals without a material reward shows your conscientious nature.

Learn to Play an Instrument

Perhaps nothing shows commitment to a craft quite like playing an instrument. But, as someone who started playing the Irish whistle as a hobby after getting inspired by a video game soundtrack (The Witcher III, if you care to know), I can attest to how difficult it is to learn from scratch.

The much more difficult instruments are violin, piano, guitar, cello, the concert flute, saxophone and many others. Learning an instrument, especially on your own, can take months of commitment before you can play a song decently.

Moreover, it’s not just the instrument itself but learning the music theory to interpret written notation is no less complex than rocket science. I am not even joking. Okay, maybe a little.

Anyway, see what kind of instrument interests you. This is best found by the types of music you listen to most often. For me, it was fantasy and celtic music, both of which use some variation of a fipple flute, and so I decided on the tin whistle. It is incredibly cheap, like $10 can get you started, and there are countless tutorials on youtube as well.

Whatever instrument you choose, the important thing is you stick to it. I won’t like it does take quite a bit of persistence and commitment to get that first song right. I will also say that nothing Is quite as rewarding as being able to play a piece of music you never thought you could.

Learn a New Language

Talk about a hobby that will open up so many doors for you in your professional life. Learning a language can be an enriching activity both internally and out in the world. Seeing how 80% of the U.S. population speaks a single language, learning a second language can give you an edge over your peers.

This is especially true for jobs that have to do with international organizations like the UN and its subsidiaries. Moreover, it will also prove helpful if you aspire to work in the state department or your country’s foreign ministry. Such government careers heavily reward bilingual people and can aid your career path towards being a diplomat someday.

Moreover, another benefit of knowing a second language is finding employment overseas. For example, let’s say you want to work in Canada; it would be beneficial to speak French, their second official language besides English.

This is not to say that a second language won’t help within your country. It all depends on the utility of the language you speak. For example, it could be gratifying to talk to Spanish in the southern states of the U.S., where a significant portion of the population is Spanish-speaking.

Besides the practical aspect of speaking a second language, let’s not forget that it also shows commitment, focus and motivation to a potential employer. Just make sure the language you learn has a purpose behind it. Don’t go learning an obscure language that you will never speak. Instead, research a bit and see what language fits you best.